CHRONOLOGY : THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD : 1783-1812    1355
 

1798    salute when he embarked.   "After landing, the'President was

July   joined by a large number of ciril and military officers. The several

27   mUitary  corps,  under command ot Col. Morton, .  .  . raoved

from Courtiand street down Broadway, when tederd salutes were

fired frora the Battery and Governor's island.   The President

and officers foUowed In the rear ot the troops, and were greeted with

asant acdaraations of joy trora the sidewalks, windows, and

n house tops. He walked uncovered, and bowed polltdy to the
IS spectators ... the slrapUcity of hia dreas and equipage
is no inconsiderable evidence ot those 'atern republican virtues'
tor which he dwaya haa been ao deservedly celebrated. . . .
The President retired to bis son's house In Beaver street, where aU
the troops paaaed in review before hira, and thence passed up
Broadway to Trinity Churcb and were there disraissed. The beUs
of Trinity were rung for a considerable time."—i!uije//'i Gaz. (Bos¬
ton), Ag 6; Af. r. Gas.©" ^Aj,, Jl 28, 1798.

The citizens of New York are exerting themselves to raise
fortifications on tbe Battery, Although the work was started only a
fewdaysago(EeeJe 28 and 30), "strong ramparts of protection and
ddence, are in great forwardness—heavy cannon have been brought
to the city, and, in a tew days, will show their terrific muzzles from
thdr intended situation."-Af. Y. Gaz. & Gen. Adv., Jl 27, 179B.
See Ag 24,

In the evening, five young Americans, induding Pres, Adams's
secretary, Saraud Malcolm, while walking on the Battery, were
attacked by ruffians. The published report of this incident, which
brings American and French patriotic sentiment into conflict,
shows the spirit of the times: "Animated by the presence of our
iUustrious President, who had that day entered the city, under the
display of our flags, and the thunder ot our cannon, amidst the
gUtter of swords, a forest of bristling bayonets, and the shouts and
acclamations of assembled thousands, they were singing, as was
very common throughout the town, the Federal song—'Hail
Columbia,' A rauch larger number of boatmen and low feUows,
frora the wharves and docks, immediately collected; and, instigated
by the ddudlng demon of French Jacobinism, and no doubt by
some of its raad or corrupted votaries, here approached our young
men, singing in opposition to tbem—what song do you think, ray
countrymen?—the Infamous French song 'Ca Ira!' Heavens,
what a contrast! How honorable to those who wore the badge ot
Americanism—How degrading and traiterous in the others. Both
parties quickly met each other, and it waa not long before the alien
crew, conscious of their superior nurabcra, began the dastardly
attack, and first inaulted, and then beat and bruised them in a
most sharaeful raanner. Mr. Samud Malcolm, one of tbe young
men, seemed to be particularly singled out as the object of their
internd hatred. It waa asked if he was the secretary to the Piesi-
dent, and on being answered In the affirmative, three or tour ruf¬
fians grasped him, and altho' he defended bimsdt with great cour¬
age, yet be received considerable injury. .   ,   ."

The next evening, "the young raen who wore tbe cockade"
(tbe Americans) went to the Battery again, to "raeet in a body any
attack that should be raade on the raark [the cockade] they had
assumed to evince their disposition to support our government
against tbe insolence, perfidy, arabition and rapacity of France."
A large nuraber of opposite opinion coUected; no attack, however,
was made, or insult given.—Claypoole's Adv. (Pbila,), Ag 1, 1798,
i         Pres. Adams, "hia Lady," and niece, leave New York, and go

to "the seat of his son-in-law Col. Smith," in Westchester, where
he is to remain a few days on his way to Braintree, Mass. He is
escorted by "the Washington troop, commanded by Col. GUes,"
and accompanied in carriages by Maj.-Gen, Clarkson, Brig.-Gen.
Hughes, and others.-PorcHpine'j Gaz. (Phila.), Jl 31, 179S;
Alex. Anderson's Diary, 1798 (MS.), 98.

E. H. Smith, M.D., in a letter to Dr. Cogswell of Harrford,
dated Sept. 2, 1798, said:

"As early as the last of July, some cases of fever occurred at
Coenties Slip, Eichange Slip, More [Moore] Street, k that ricinity.
The complaint was principally, it not entirely confined there, I
do not know bow raany sickened or died: perhaps 40 of the first
& 4 of the laat: not raore. .  .  .

"As the fever was declining at the south end, k while It had
ezdted no alarm, the disease suddenly appeared at New Slip, at
the other end of the City. This was still more circumscribed,
affecting only a few bouses (not raore than 10) near a very filthy
spo^ which has been more or less visited by fever every year since
 

ray reridence in N. York ...(,.. I do not suppose that the
whole nuraber up to this tirae eiceeds 35) nine died.  Tbe rest re-   ■
raoved, & tbe houses were raostly deaerted.

"Tbis occasioned very litde alarra, and that litde was rapidly
subsidrag, when raany people, k aeveral very reapectable citizens,
were auddenly, & nearly at the aame time, seiied with fever, on the
west side of Pearl St. above Burling Slip, up John St. as far as Wni
St. & m Elbow lane (now Cliff St.) k in Gold St.  ,   .  .

"In about a week several deaths had happened, k tbe darm
began. It is now scarcely a fortnight since tbe first of these last
cases happened. Within tbe last week the greater part ot Pearl
St, flora Wall to Cherry Sts. k the eastern part of tbe town, bas
been evacuated. This is certainly disproportionate to the cause.
Of the extent of that cause it is difficult to pronounce decisively,

"It, however, I aay that 600 people have been k are sick, k
about one in ten have died, I iraagine that I quite equal, & per¬
haps exceed the truth. . . . The desertion ol that part of the
town, which ia most affected, renders the number ot new caaea
comparatively small. . . ."—From the original letter, filed with
"Miscellaneous MSS." In the N. Y. H. S. See also The Spedator,
Jl 7, 1798; and Aa Account of the Mdignant Fever, lately prevdent
In the City of New York, by James Hardie (1799).

An interesting drawing of "Haerlem Town" was made at tbis
time by Archlbdd Robertson, and is now in the Eraraet coUection,
N. Y: Pub. Library. This drawing shows the third Dutch church,
which was built in 1788 and demolished in 1825. Tbe drawing is
reproduced and described in Vol, I, PI. 6o-b.

Tbe coraraon council refers to the coraraittee on fortifications
a proposal of Wra, Child "to provide reflecting Teilescopes to
discern Shipping at a great diatance."—M. C. C. (1784-1831),
11: 460.

The coramon councU permita George Peck "to make a passage
from the River, under Cherry Street to draw Timber kc for the
buUding of a Sliip of War in hia Yard," on his agreeing to restore
the street and wharf in good order as soon as the ship is launched.—
M. C. C. (1784-1831), It; 460.

In a message to the legialature. Gov. Jay aays that he finds it
impossible to build a useful arsenal tor tbe $3,000 appropriated
at the last session (see Mr 30), and that it does not appear ad¬
visable to begin one "on a plan tbat would require a larger sura,
under an expectation that further and further appropriations
would be raade to carry it on and finish it."—Messages from the
Governors, II: 415.

"... three ships of war are building at New York—344, 336,
and a 32, are in various stages of forwardness . . ,"—From
Boston correspondence in The Centlnel of Freedom (Newark),
Ag 11,1798.

One of the city physicians complaina to Mayor Varick ot the
venders of fruits and vegetables who "Make a Coatora, When the
Butchers is Gon, to Move in the [Bear or Hudson] Markett with
thdr Coffee & Frute, and by that Means Collect Numbers ot Idol,
Drunken, & Durty Men Seting and Lying on the Stalls, So that
tbe Butchers with Difficulty Can Scarcely make them Even
Look Deasent, as the Huisters, more or less of them. Stays until
9 or 10 O'clock at night, k their Frute Draws Large Gangs of
unruly Boys, Disturbing the Peasable Inhabitants."—De Voe,
Market Book, 311-23. On Aug. 20, tbe coraraon council ordered
the deputy clerks ot the raarkets to "cause all the Hucksters St
Vendors of Fruit k Vegitables to be reraoved from the public
Market Places & Streets adjacent at Sun Set every Day except
Vendors ot Vegitables on Saturday."—M. C. C. (1784-1831),
H; 462-63.

The health commissioners notify the coraraon council "tbat
the Swamp or Meadow between the fresh Water Pond & Hudsons
River is overflowed with standing Water k requires iraraediate
Measures to be taken for draining it." Tbe board ao orders.—
M. C. C, (1784-1831), II: 462. On Nov. 5, payment of £65:11:8
was made "for opening the Drain at Lisplnards Swamp."—Ibid.,

Mr. Brearcisen is erecting "a very extensive building" at the
corner of Warren St. and Broadway, "tor the sole purpose ot
raiUtary exercise," The undertaking haa been aided by the "Waah¬
ington Military Society."—W. Y. Gaz. & Gen. Adv., Ag 21, 1798,

Tbe volunteer companies are ordered to hold themselves in
readiness "to march at a minute's notice.' In the evening there
is "some Contusion"  at tbe old  Coffee House  "between Mr.